Improvement in processes of obtaining motive power



R. NL MARCHANT. improvement in Processes 0f Obtann g Motive Power.

Patented June 13. 1871( Y CHANT, of London, England, have invented a 4acting upon the airpreviously compressed by air reaches or leaves the last pumpin the se- ROBERT MUDGE MAROHANT, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

VllvPRO'iIlElViENT INVPROCESSES OF OTAINING MOTIVE POWER.

Speciiication forming part of Letters PatcntNo. 115,877, dated J une 13, 1871.

To` all whom it may c'oncern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT MUDGE Main new and useful Process of Obtaining Motive Power, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being hud to the accompanying drawin g forming part of this specification, and which represents a view, in perspective, of an engine with the necessary apparatus attached employed in obtaining motive power according to my improved process.

rDhis invention consists in compressing aeriform fluids, including atmospheric air, (which latter will here be selected by way of illustration,) in progressive stages, and the passing of it at each stage through water, whereby the air is saturated during its compression, and thenpassing such satura-ted compressed air through a heater, from whence it passes in a highly-expanded condition to the cylinder of the engine, Where it is utilized for the produc tion of power with marked economy in iuel.

The engine itself may be similaito any ordinary steam-engine, and the construction and arrangement oi' the apparatus generally be varied to suit the application of my improved process to stationary, marine, yor locomotive engines, as the case may be. But, in carrying out the invention, it is necessary that there should be employed a series of pumps operating upon the general principle described in Letters Patent-of the United States, No. 110,380 and No.

issued to me on the 20th day of December, 1870, and 21st ot' February, 1871, in which the plungers ot' the pumps used to compress the air work under water which is connned under or between a volume or volumes of the air under compression, by causing the air to pass or be delivered by the beat of each pump and byits lighter specific gravity through Y the water from below to a storage chamber or pipe, for transfer ofthe air from pump to pump, and for final use,as required. rlhis compression ofthe air in stages, each successive pump a preceding pump, is essential'A to the economical working of the invention, as is also the saturation of the air, which not only serves to prevent the heating of the pumps by absorption bythe water ofthe heat given out during compression, but when the saturated condensed ries or reservoir connected therewith, an at mosphere or medium air is produced that contains the necessary elements of the power to be applied, and that is in appearance what may Abe termed a white cloud, which consists of the compressed air, of the steam expressed by the saturation of the air when under further compression at each stage of pumping, and of the saturation not so already expressed by steam. rlhis white cloud enters the heat-er at a determined pressure, and here the remaining saturation is converted-into gas, and expan sion is given to the already compressed gas. From the heater the cylinder of the engine is supplied with its motive power by means ot' a suitable valve or valves, and here, apart from the increase of power-which is obtained by the expansion 'of the compressed gas in the heater,

the additional heat communicated by the h eat-er A serves to prevent that freezing eliect which would otherwise take place byythe sudden liberation and expansion of the compressed air within the cylinder.

The pumps are, preferably, worked by the engine which they serve to supply with motive power, and by the stage process of condensing the air' there is the smallest attainable consumption of power in the mechanical lnanui'acy ture of the gas at the pressure at which it is determined to submit it to the increasing action of heat, each successive pump working in an atmosphere already stored by a preceding pump, and-V hence only meeting With a resist- `ance due to the difference between the pressleakage shall be exercised by water on the joints, with which joints the air is precluded from comin g in contact by the diii'erence of its gravity.

One arrangement for maintaining the required uniform level of the water in the chambers is by duly proportionin g the upper spaces which the water in said chambers occupies to the size of the pumps, which are made to pass water forward, as may be necessary, to keep up the supply as decreased by evaporation; also, by the arrangement of the suctionpipes, which at one uniform level pass such water as required at that level.

It is preferred to pack the piston of the engine and pump-buckets'with cork cut into nibs of such size as shall not be crushed by the pressure put on them, but shall, on the contrary, retain their elasticity, such cork being steeped in a suitable preparation, so as to form a uniform mass when under pressure.

The charging to start the motive power, as described, may be effected by constructing the heater with a coil for the passage ofthe saturated condensed air through it, and temporarily shutting off communication between said coil and the pressurepumps, and pumping into the coil a sufficient quantity of water to produce steam by which to Work Athe engine till the necessary charge of condensed air has been produced by the pumps to work the engine under myimproved process, when communication should be opened between the coil and the last pump in the series, or the reservoir connected therewith.

-Referring to the accompanying drawing, in

which Figures 1 and 2 are views at right angles to each other, and which represent the invention under one form of application, by way of illustrating it as hereinbefore described-.-

A A are the chambers, which are successively charged by the pumps with saturated condensed air of progressive pressure. as produced by the stage process hereinbefore referred to B B, the pump-chambers underneath; and b b, the pipes which connect each successive pump withthe preceding one. C is the heater, provided with a chimney, c. D is the cylinder of an engine operated by my improvedv process; d, its exhaust-pipe; s, the pipe by which the saturated condensed air is taken from the last `pump to the heater; and e, the pipe by whichl the saturated air is conveyed from the heater to the cylinder of the engine or its valve-chest.

f j', the connecting-rods .Working the pumprods and g g the eccentric rods to tappet-mo- The process, herein described, of obtaining motive power by compressing air in progressive stages and passing it at each stage through water, and finally passing it through a heater, and from thence to the cylinder of an engine, substantially as specified.

. R. M. MAROHANT. Witnesses:

I. G. NEWBURN, GEO.. BACON. 

